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Jaylen Brown has recently found himself thrust into trade rumors as the Boston Celtics hover around the .500 mark a quarter of the way through the season. However, the Celtics have been clear in their willingness to keep their All-Star wing as they look to build around the pairing of Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Still, as the season continues to flow, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Celtics are missing a third star, somebody who can help ease both the scoring and playmaking burden. Dennis Schroder has done an admirable job at providing the required assistance during his time with the starting unit, while Josh Richardson and Al Horford have also displayed qualities the team will look for in a third star.
Yet, most prominent role players in the NBA can display star qualities from time to time – it’s the consistency that elevates you into “star” status. Sure, Horford was once looked at as part of the Celtics star rotation, but at age 35, relying on him for the future isn’t a possibility.
With the Celtics steadfast in their wish to keep Brown, NBA insider Jeff Goodman offered another avenue for the team to explore when speaking on a recent episode of The Garden Report.
“As much as I’ve said hey, I want to bring in another player who fits with Jayson Tatum a little better, I don’t know who that’s going to be. You can’t give Jaylen Brown away for anything other than another All-Star and not an aging All-Star, either, because you want to build this thing. So I don’t think they do anything with Jaylen Brown. I think what you gotta try to do is, can you somehow build up Robert Williams, Marcus Smart’s stock enough so you can (make a trade)—or you are just gonna have to wait it out,” Goodman explained.
Both Smart & Williams Recently Signed Extensions
Smart’s value took a slight hit during the summer when he signed a contract extension worth $77 million over four years. The reason Smart’s value dipped when he inked his signature onto the dotted line is that he is now due to get paid what his talent is worth, rather than being one of the most desirable assets in the league, which he had been for multiple prior seasons.
However, Smart’s defensive acumen and improved three-point shooting means that contending teams around the league will still flash wanting glances in his direction during trade discussions with the Celtics. Now, as the team’s starting point guard, the Celtics have the opportunity to put Smart in the shop window as he flourishes as a playmaker and primary point-of-attack defender.
During the summer, Robert Williams also signed a new deal with the Celtics worth $54 million over four years but has continued to miss floor time due to injury. Williams’ impact on winning is well known at this point; however, his trouble staying healthy has been a significant discussion point amongst fans whenever his name has arisen in potential trade discussions.
Both Smart and Williams have attractive properties to their games but do come with baggage. Smart has made poor decisions on shot selection, while his competitive nature can often lead to discrepancies within the locker room. As for Williams needs to continue proving his injury history is behind him before any team will consider accepting a package centered around him.
If You Want a Star, You Need to Trade a Star
When people think of star trades, their minds quickly turn to the deal the New Orleans Pelicans received from the Los Angeles Lakers or what the Houston Rockets got back for James Harden. Yet, for the Celtics, things aren’t so simple.
The Lakers gave up numerous future picks with Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball – both highly touted young prospects. At the same time, the Nets had to incorporate a third team into their deal and give up Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen.
The Celtics don’t possess highly touted young players outside of Brown and Tatum, nor do they have enough talent in their rotation to both sweeten the pot for a third team and entice an organization to part with star talent.
However, it is possible that the Celtics can offer a similar deal to what the Lakers gave up for Russell Westbrook this past off-season, a package centered around respected role players for a star talent who doesn’t fit on his current roster. Still, it’s rare those deals present themselves. As such, Goodman’s idea of building up the trade value of some key starters, while logical, may not bear fruit in practice.
The unfortunate truth is that the Celtics currently find themselves in limbo. Without the willingness to make a star trade of their own, they could find themselves walking a developmental tightrope for a few more years to come.
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